Nestlé Kenya is set to launch a public awareness campaign on Friday to increase healthy breakfast consumption and create awareness on the role it plays in alleviating deficiencies associated with malnutrition.
This is as many Kenyans skip breakfast due to time constraints or limited knowledge to make affordable healthy breakfast meals.
The launch will take place at the Sarova Stanley hotel at 8am.
In attendance will be the Aga Khan Univeristy Hospital Dietetics Manager Dr. Jasper Omondi Oyoo and the Nestle Kenya Managing Director Ngentu Njeru.
According to the 2011 Kenya National Micronutrient Survey, Micronutrient deficiencies are responsible for childhood deaths in the country and often co-occur with stunting and/or wasting.
Such deficiencies weaken the immune system, leaving those affected vulnerable to disease.
When left unresolved, micronutrient deficiencies may result in death.
In August, the Health Ministry announced that Nairobi has the country's highest number of stunted children.
The Health Ministry data shows Nairobi has at least 104,074 children who are stunted.
Experts are concerned about the high prevalence of children who are stunted in counties that are least expected to have the problem.
Data from the Ministry of Health also shows that 69,511 children in Mandera have low weight for their height.
Wasting in children is a symptom of acute under-nutrition, usually as a consequence of insufficient food intake or a high incidence of infectious diseases especially diarrhoea.
The data shows that 11,725 are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with 57,786 affected by moderate acute malnutrition.
Overall, 290,000 (four per cent) children in Kenya are wasted while 794,200 (11 per cent) are underweight.
Research attributes high levels of wasting among children to poverty, poor education and healthcare, particularly in the arid and semi-arid counties.
Edited by CM
